Noel Dempsey (Meath West, Fianna Fail)

I have taken a very strong line from the outset that the legislation must be respected and that nobody can break the law. It would be a criminal offence to break that law so I am glad everyone has agreed they will obey it, that is what I expect from our citizens.

On the broader question of fairness in the context of an extraordinary event like this one, that is a debate that will no doubt take place in future. It might not be useful to have it right now in case people feel they could renege on current commitments.

No one can say how long these disruptions will continue, it depends on the volcano and the weather. If the second volcano erupts, the rules agreed by EU Ministers that are being implemented now would be put in place across all European airspace. If it was clear the disruption would last for a long time, contingency plans would have to be put in place. That does not arise at the moment.

See this speech in context